1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to diaminoalkyl di(sulfosuccinates) (DDSS) compounds and their use as builders.
2. Related Art
The use of aminopolycarboxylates as laundry detergent additives is generally disclosed in the art. For example, the prior art described laundry detergent compositions which include nitrilotriacetates (NTA), ethylendediaminetetraacetates (EDTA), diethylenetriaminepentaacetates (DTPA), and hydroxyethylethylenediaminetriaacetates (HEDTA), and triethylenetetramine hexaacetic acid (TTHA).
U.S. Pat. No. 4,560,491 discloses laundry detergent compositions containing an aluminasilicate or organic detergency builder and from about 0.5% to about 10% by weight of HEDTA. The list of suitable organic detergency builders disclosed includes aminopolycarboxylates such as NTA, EDTA and DTPA.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,397,776 discloses liquid laundry detergent compositions having a pH between 9 and 13, containing alpha-amine oxide surfactants and from about 0.01% to about 25% by weight of a heavy-metal chelating agent. The preferred chelating agents include aminopolycarboxylates such as NTA, EDTA, DTPA and HEDTA.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,920,564 discloses softener/detergent formulations containing surfactants, quaternary ammonium or diamine fabric softeners, and a builder salt selected from aminopolycarboxylates and/or sodium citrate. Examples of suitable aminopolycarboxylates include NTA, EDTA and HEDTA.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,151,084 discloses alkylbenzenesulfonate-containing detergent compositions in which solubility is said to be improved by the addition of a mixture of EDTA and a solubilizing agent selected from salts of N,N-di(2-hydroxyethyl) glycine, iminodiacetic acid, NTA and HEDTA.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,704,233 discloses detergent compositions containing ethylenediamine N-N'disuccinic acid and salts.
None of these patents or applications disclose either DDSS and its salts or detergent compositions containing it. Moreover, the aminopolycarboxylates disclosed in those patents or applications are not biodegradable.
The art also discloses methods of synthesizing mono aminoalkyl sulfosuccinates and mono iminoalkyl sulfosuccinates in Lamberti, U.S. Pat. No. 3,957,775.
None of these references disclose the DDSS or compositions of the present invention or recognize the unique builder properties of DDSS in the context of laundry detergent compositions.